Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-07-02
SPORTING.
Fifteen Thousand People Witness the An
nuaI Harvard Yale Boat Race,
Won by Yale.


| NEW LONDON, CONN, July 1.-The
twelfth annual four mile straight sway
race between eight.oared crews repre-
| senting Yale and Hazard Universities, was
rowed this evening over the Thames river
course from Gales Ferry to Winthrop
! Point, and was won by Yale by
/ five and half lengths. Official time,
Yale, 22:5G; Harvard, 23;I04. The at
tendance was something unprecedented.
| The scenes along the course from the
start 10 the finish were very striking. The
observation train contained tWenty-four
well packed cars. The grand stand ct
the finish wss crowded. Three large
steamers took large crowds up the river
and there were thirty-siX large steam and
schooner yechts, besides innpmerable
smaller crafts anchored along the last
mile of the course. The crowds who saw
the row being estimated ct goo. The
water was in excellent condition. At
1905 the referee signaled for the crews
and both padded to the referees boat and
were given their inal Instructions At
1:2S the word was given, both
crews catching the Wster very quickly,
Harvard gaining slight advantage. Both
crews started at q 36-stroke, but after
the first minute dropped to IS and 81
Harvard gradually drew away from Yale
in the first eighth mile, led by half q
length. Both crews were pulling in per-
feet form and the excitement was in
tense. Yale's powerful stroke, however,
soon sent her shell up inch by inch until
al the half mile flag both boats, as seen
from the dress b0ats, were bow and bow,
though the official time gives Harvard
lead Of two seconds. Harvard's time
here was 2:54 and Yale 2:5G.
Both crews were pulling in fine form,
the body and oar movement of each
crew being as one man. Just efter pass
inc the hslf-mile flag Yale dropped her
stroke to 50, Harvard pulling 81 and 80
The exhibition OF rowing IN this hSn
mile, the second, was very fine. The
crews were putting in Their best efforts,
but GAlt's slow stroke proved more effeC-
tive and her boat crept slowly TO the
front, and as they passed the mile in 5;20
and 5:23 Yale was Just showing clear
water ahead of HarvGrd's boat The sec
Ond half mile was the fastest of the race,
Yale doing it IN . "a and Harvard III 2:2q.
As they nearcd the navy yard Yale began
to forge ahead and showed twenty
feet clear water between the boats. Up
to this point the race had been one of the
most hotly contested ever rowed be
tween the crews of the two colleges. OF
the navy yard Harvard spurted and made
q grand effort to close the gap, but Yale
responded nObiy, and st the two-mile
flag had Increased her lead to q length
and half. passing that point in ;O9t,
ard Harvard in 11:l44. At this point
the race was practically settled. In the
fifth half Ysle gained five seconds, and,
having the race well in hand, dropped her
stroke to thirty and thirty-one, Harvard
still rowing thirty-three and thirty four
In the sixth half Yale made On
additional gain of seven and
one half seconds, and passed
the three mile flag in 1874
with lead Of four lengths. HarY0rd's
time, 1923. It began 10 look like pro-
cession, especially in the seventh half;
Yale added fifth length 10 her credit,
doing tbs hslf in 2:5l5 10 Harvard's
2:j+5. In the last hat mile Harvard
made desperate effort to lessen TaIe's
lead, but it was of little avail. Yale main
tained her slow stroke, paid vely little
attention to what Hsrvard was doing and
dashed across the finishing line in - 80,
an easy winner by four or five lengths
Haryard's time, % :IO5 When the Yale
men stopped rowing, Gill, Who pulled
No. oar, fell back in his seat exhausted, \
beng overcome by the strain and excite
ment